


Temptation

by Princess of Geeks (Princess)



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: "Torment of Tantalus", Episode Related, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-22
Updated: 2015-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-14 15:23:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3415715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Princess/pseuds/Princess%20of%20Geeks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for jdjunkie's Thon, April 2014.</p><p>Episode tag for S1 "Torment of Tantalus" -- Jack considers why Daniel came with them after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Temptation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jdjunkie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jdjunkie/gifts).



No one except Carter had wanted to rest or even leave the general area of the Stargate until after it was confirmed that the gate at Heliopolis was definitely off the hook. As it were. More than off the hook -- disconnected. Kaput.

Hammond had insisted that Earnest and Catharine get checked out, cleaned up, and changed before he would let them come back down and watch Harriman try futilely to get a lock. Jack figured Hammond had tried dialing once, while they were in the infirmary, based on how Daniel was sitting forlornly by the console, brow knitted. 

Before Jack had accompanied the reunited lovers to the infirmary, he'd glimpsed Carter in a hurried conference with Daniel. She'd apparently run off with Earnest's notebook and Daniel's video camera to start working on a model of the projection device, and missed the confirmation that there was, absent a ship, no way to go back. 

Jack shook his head. So many weird things about this mission. Too close a shave, this time. He shivered before he could stop himself. 

Catharine was herding Earnest back to the elevator. He glanced over to see Daniel looking after them fondly. 

"Well..." Daniel said, and got up. He seemed abstracted, but that wasn't new. He wandered out of the control room without a backward glance.

Jack found him much later, after Catharine and Earnest were asleep in VIP quarters, and even Carter had gone home. Daniel was sitting in his lab, at his desk, staring into space, Earnest's journal open before him.

"Hey," Jack said. 

"Hey," Daniel returned, absently. 

"You should call it a day. Lots to do tomorrow. Maybe even those long-delayed physical tests."

Daniel chuckled, but it had no humor in it. 

Jack set a hip on his desk. Daniel leaned back, and picked up a pencil. "What's up," Jack said. He didn't make it sound like a question, but it was.

"I wanted to stay. So badly. What does that say about me?"

"That you were tempted by knowledge?"

"Just like Eve?" Another bitter laugh. "We know how that turned out." Daniel tossed the pencil away and took off his glasses. He rubbed his eyes. "I was ready, eager, to stay, without a second thought. Leave all of you. Abandon any chance of...."

Jack frowned. Daniel looked pained, like he was having trouble speaking. He took a deep breath, opened his eyes and tilted his head back to meet Jack's gaze. His eyes were swimming with tears. "Abandon any chance of finding Sha're. And I was so ready to do that. So ready."

"Daniel--"

"What does that say about me?" He got up and began to pace. "Earnest never forgot Catharine. A lifetime, he spent there, with no hope, and he never--"

"There's no comparison at all."

Daniel stopped and folded his arms. His back was to Jack. "I learned something about myself today, Jack, and I don't think I'm very proud of it."

Jack went to him and put a hand on his shoulder. It made Daniel wilt a little, made him drop his head. Jack squeezed. "I want to point out that you came back. You chose to come with us. You showed a little sense, for once."

That got him a half-baked smile. Daniel rubbed his eyes.

"Come on. Get out of here. Time to get some air. Get some solid ground under our feet."

"Solid ground," Daniel said, like he had no idea what that meant.

Jack kept a hand on his elbow until they got to the locker room door, as if he were afraid Daniel would change his mind, refuse to leave the Mountain.

He'd really done it once -- done what he'd just scared himself into admitting out loud. Stayed behind, turned his back on Earth. Jack had no idea what had prompted Daniel to nearly do it again on Earnest's planet, beyond the obvious idea that there was tons to learn from that projection device. 

But he was here. He'd returned. That was what mattered. Jack was pretty sure Earnest and Catharine would back him up, on this one.


End file.
